Family Visits
by booksandmusic19
Summary: Bella's cousins come to visit from Phoenix, but what happens when the Volturi gets involved? Takes place the summer after Eclipse.
1. Chapter 1

**This story takes place after Eclipse, the summer before Breaking Dawn. Bella's cousins come to visit.**

**Disclaimer – I am not Stephenie Meyer. I don't own Twilight**

"Bella? Bella?" a velvety voice murmured in my ear. "Wake up, love." I yawned and rolled over, opening my eyes to see the love of my life – and now fiancé – Edward. I smiled up at him and mumbled a garbled greeting. Then, I sat bolt upright in bed. "Edward, what day is it?" I asked. "June thirtieth, Bella. Why?" Oh no! Oh, crap, today was the day my cousins came to visit. "Well, my cousins from Phoenix are coming up to visit Charlie and me today. They're staying for a week," I said apologetically. I had forgotten to tell Edward or his family.

"So that's what Charlie meant when he was thinking about a visit," Edward murmured. "Why now, of all times?" "They want to see me before the wedding," I explained. "I hope you don't mind. We're picking them up from the airport at 4 PM." "Of course not," Edward insisted. "As long as I can stay with you…" "Of course," I said, surprised he even thought that.

I heard a quiet motor drive up to the house and stop. Edward smiled, although it was a little strained. "Alice wants to see you," he said. "She says it's about the wedding." I groaned and pulled myself out of bed, falling into Edward's perfect marble arms. "Bella, love, what did you do before me?" Edward smiled. "I don't know," I grumbled, upset I was clumsy first thing in the morning. "I had a permanent room at the hospital." Edward's eyes widened. "Kidding!" I walked down the stairs, determined to prove that I didn't need his help. Unfortunately, I missed a step on the way down and fell. All. The. Way. Down. Right into Edward, who seemed to know what would happen. Of course he did. Stupid, unreliable, gorgeous vampire…. I lost myself in his eyes.

Alice stormed in the door. "Come on, Bella! We have to get this done before your cousins come." I groaned, knowing I was in for a morning of being Alice's Barbie. But I also knew that if I didn't go voluntarily, she would drag me down to the big white mansion. I sighed. "Come on, Edward, let's go."

* * *

After four hours of being locked in Alice's room with a pixie pin-wielding vampire, Alice decided that I had had enough suffering for the day. But she didn't let me out yet. "Why not?" I whined, knowing I sounded like a three-year-old. "Because do you think I'd let you go pick up your cousins in _that?_" She said_ that _the way some people might say _poop_. I looked down at the sweats I had thrown on that morning. "Fine, Alice, but make it quick." She laughed. "Do I ever do anything slowly?" True to her word, I was ready to go in half an hour. She had given me a pair of jeans and actually made me look natural and slightly less pale. She sighed, admiring me. "My work here is done. Edward?" Edward came through the door and smiled at me. "Ready to go, Bella?" "Yes!" I said. "Anything to get out of the crazy pixie's room!"

The drive to the airport was uneventful. "So who are your cousins?" Edward asked. "Well, there's Jenn, who's sixteen, then there's Ryan and Danielle, who are both twenty. They're twins. All of them are on my mom's side of the family. I haven't seen them since before I left for Forks," I explained. "So your mother has a sister?" Edward inquired. "Two, actually, but one lives in England," I said. We continued talking about my family – I hadn't told Edward much about them. Although it should have taken us half an hour to get to the airport in Port Angeles, with Edward's driving it took us half that time. We got there just as my cousins' plane landed, and met them at the gate.

"Oh my gosh, Bella! You look SO different!" my cousin Jenn squealed and ran to give me a bone-crushing hug that rivaled Emmett's. Danielle followed her sister, saying, "Sorry. She hasn't shut up about seeing you since we got on the plane, but you do look different." She joined the hug. "Ryan, is that you? I barely recognized you!" He'd grown tall, but not as tall as – No. I wouldn't spoil this moment by thinking about my former best friend, Jake. Ryan grinned. "So, how many accidents have you had per week so far?" he joked. I glowered. "I'm not that clumsy, I just am vertically challenged." He smiled and gave me an awkward hug. I turned to see where my other cousins had gone, and I saw them staring at Edward.

"Oh, sorry. This is Edward, my fiancé. Edward, Jenn, Danielle, and Ryan," I introduced, slipping my hand into Edward's, who pulled me close to him. "Uh, hi," giggled Jenn. "So when's the wedding?" demanded Danielle. "It still hadn't arrived when we left." I blushed. "It's sometime in August." "Wow," said Ryan. "I can't believe you're getting married before us. I mean, remember how we'd joke about how you'd be the last to get married?"

With that, we made our way to Edward's Volvo and piled their luggage in before getting in ourselves. Ryan sat in the front with Edward and started talking about cars, a conversation in which Edward joined in eagerly. I heard them talk about models, makes, and styles before I turned to my other cousins, who were watching me. "What?" I demanded to know. "It's just, well…." Jenn started. "You really landed in a pot of gold this time," Danielle commented. "He's really hot!" I blushed, but I can't say I was surprised – in fact, I was expecting it. "Yeah, and he's really nice, too. I can't imagine spending my life with anyone else," I said, knowing Edward would hear.

We passed the turnoff to Charlie's house, which shocked me. "Wait, Edward, where are we going?" I asked. "You missed Charlie's turnoff." "I know, love. We're going to my house. Esme invited you to dinner, don't you remember?" Oh, yeah, now I remembered it. Esme had said something about dinner, but I was too nervous about what Alice was doing to me to pay attention. "We're going to his house?" Jenn whispered. "Does his mom know we're going to be there?" "Don't worry, she knows," I said, knowing Alice had probably told her the minute she saw it.

We drove through the wooded drive to the big white mansion, and my cousins gasped when they saw it. "Wow, nice house," Ryan said. He said something else, but it was drowned out by the roar of Emmett's Jeep. "Wow, is that your brother?" Danielle asked. Before Edward could answer, the engine stopped, and Rosalie stepped out of the monstrous truck. "Woww," said Ryan, staring. "I wouldn't stare if I were you, Ryan," I commented. "Let's go. Esme's waiting for us." Edward opened my door and I leaned into him, inhaling his sweet scent. We walked up the steps of the house. "I can't wait to meet your family," Jenn said to Edward.

**well, there it is. Chapter 1. PLEASE review. How about 5? I won't update until I get 5. (Strike, strike, strike!)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Well, here it is. Chapter 2. I'm really sorry I didn't update sooner. I've been really busy with school. But now I can write to my heart's content! **

**Disclaimer – I am not Stephenie Meyer. I don't own Twilight. **

We walked through the doors into the brightly lit living room. Jenn gasped. "It looks gorgeous!" she exclaimed, seeing the glass wall looking out into the woods. "Thank you," Esme said, walking in from the kitchen – for once, I smelled the aroma of lasagna baking. "You must be Bella's cousins." "Hi Esme," I said. "These are my cousins Jenn, Danielle, and Ryan. Guys, this is Edward's mom, Esme." "Your house is wonderful," Danielle said.

Just then, Emmett walked in the door with Rosalie. They were laughing about something, but stopped when they saw us. Ryan's jaw dropped yet again. "This is Rosalie," I said, pointing, "and Emmett." "Hey, how you doing?" Ryan asked. I punched him. "She's with Emmett," I whispered. The color drained out of Ryan's face. He laughed nervously.

"Right. While he's recovering, let me introduce myself," Danielle strode forward determinedly. "I'm Danielle, Bella's cousin, and this is Jenn."

Emmett grinned. "Nice to meet you," he said, while Rosalie rolled her eyes. "Dinner is ready!" Esme called. She had gone into the kitchen when Rosalie walked in. As we went into the dining room, Rosalie snorted. "Come on, honey, let's go upstairs," she said to Emmett.

"Where's Alice and Jasper?" I asked. "They're out hunting with Carlisle," Esme said. Ryan seemed to recover from his shock. "Wow! You guys hunt?" he said. "Isn't that dangerous? I mean, isn't there, like, wild bears and stuff?" Jenn asked. A smile appeared on Edward's face. "We're very careful about where we hunt," he said. With that, we sat down and started eating.

* * *

After dinner, Edward drove us back to Charlie's house. "I'll see you in the morning, love," he said, kissing me on the forehead. I sighed, inhaling his sweet scent. "I love you," I mumbled. He smiled, "I love you, too." With that, he got back in his Volvo and sped off.

I followed Jenn, Danielle and Ryan into my house, where we saw Charlie. "Hi Uncle Charlie!" Jenn said, hugging him. "Esme called me about dinner, but I had to stay late," he said apologetically. "Bella, would you mind if I went fishing tomorrow? It's supposed to be a great day for it." "No problem, Dad," I said, and showed my cousins up the stairs. "Ryan, you're gonna be staying in the guest room," I said, "and Jenn and Danielle, you're going to sleep in my room." Ryan groaned. "Are you guys going to stay up all night laughing and talking?" he asked. Danielle punched him. "None of your business, nosy."

After we all got ready for bed, I settled into bed, bracing myself for a slew of questions. "You know, you're really lucky. It isn't every day that you meet a guy like Edward," Danielle said. "I know. It just kind of happened."

"Tell us the story," Jenn begged. "Well, he was my Biology partner, and I thought he hated me. I mean, he'd glare at me and stuff. But it turned out he really liked me. He asked me to prom, and we've been together ever since. And then, a couple weeks ago, he proposed to me. It was a major shock. But there's no one else I'd rather spend my life with," I said. _Or eternity, _I thought.

"Wow," Jenn said. "And what about his family? I mean, they all look kind of weird." "Well, Esme and Carlisle are foster parents, so none of them are really related. Except for Jasper and Rosalie," I remembered the Cullens' cover story. "They're brother and sister."

"So, do you have any stories?" Danielle asked conspiratorially. I blushed, turning a beet red. "He saved my life a couple of times." Then, of course, I had to tell them _that_ story.

"So, are you excited? About the wedding?" Danielle demanded. "Yeah, but it's still not sunk in that such a perfect guy is mine," I said truthfully. It still wasn't quite a reality that I was going to be marrying him in less than two months.


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's chapter 3! Thank you so much for all your reviews! They make my day!:)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Twilight**

_I was walking through the woods. I felt like I was looking for something, or someone. I saw a flash of red, and gasped, but it was only a robin. I looked behind me to see the source of a sound I shouldn't have been able to hear, a sound of a tiny twig snapping._

_Somehow, I saw a wolf, running through the countryside. "Jacob! Can we please talk?" I asked. Jake, hearing me, phased into his human form. "What is there to talk about? You're going to marry that – leech!" Jacob yelled at me. My eyes filled with tears. "I love him, Jacob," I pleaded. He snorted. "Like anyone could love something that's dead. He doesn't deserve you, Bella!" And my former best friend turned around and changed into a gigantic wolf that bared its teeth and ran off._

_My dream changed._

_I was burning. It was horribly hot, and I couldn't bear it. My veins would explode any minute now with the venom. And then, suddenly, it stopped. I felt myself open my eyes and I saw the room around me. Edward was staring into my eyes. "Bella, love? Can you hear me?" he asked. I snarled and jumped up, tackling him through the wall. Then, everything went black._

My eyes snapped open; I was sweating. In the early light of the morning, I saw that Jenn was still asleep, but Danielle was up – probably downstairs. I looked at my clock: 7:27. No point in going back to sleep – I'd just have another nightmare. I tiptoed out of the room, careful not to wake Jenn, and walked slowly down the stairs into the living room. Danielle was sitting on the sofa, reading a book whose title I couldn't see. She put it down when I walked in, and I saw the title, which was Pride and Prejudice. "Hi Bella!" she said brightly. "Sleep well?" "Um, I guess," I said. "Who's Jacob?" Danielle asked curiously. "You still talk in your sleep, you know."

My heart gave a jolt that I tried to ignore. _He's gone, Bella,_ I told myself. _No use crying over spilt milk._ "Oh, he – was my best friend. Last year, Edward had to move, and Jacob was the one who kind of brought me back to reality. But now that Edward's back…" I trailed off. "Does he not like Edward?" Danielle asked. "Well, Edward thinks Jacob is dangerous, and Jake doesn't approve of me marrying Edward." "Well, if there's one thing I could see about Edward right away, is that he loves you a lot. Jacob's probably just jealous," Danielle reassured me. We went into the kitchen, where there was a note taped to the phone.

**Bella,**

**Alice called. She'll be by at around 8:00. She said something about shopping?**

I groaned. "What's wrong?" asked Jenn, who had come into the kitchen as we were reading the note. "Alice," I growled. "Sorry?" "Alice, Edward's sister. She loves to shop, and she's crazy when she does," I said. "And she's planning my wedding, which is great except she's completely over exuberant. Anyone want eggs?"

Just as we were cleaning up the last of the dishes, I saw a glimpse of a silver Volvo drive up. Sure enough, we heard a knock on the door. Jenn went to the door to let Alice in. "Hi! I'm Alice. Are you guys ready to shop?" she asked enthusiastically. Jenn said, "You bet! But I thought there wasn't any stores around here?" "There aren't," Alice replied in a sorrowful voice. "So we're going to Seattle." The attacks on the citizens of Seattle – caused by an army of newborn vampires – had ceased when the Cullens had defeated Victoria, so now I was free to go to the city again.

Alice linked her arm through Jenn's, and I could tell that they were both excited. Jenn loved to shop, too. Danielle, Alice, and Jenn went out to the car, while I left a note for Ryan, telling him where we'd be. After taping the note to the refrigerator, I ran outside to the Volvo, where Alice was evidently telling them a funny story – they were all laughing. I got in the passenger side. "Let's get this over with," I said.

* * *

After only two hours of shopping, Alice seemed to decide that we had gotten all that we needed from the mall. As we walked out of Macy's, I ran to catch up with Alice, who was leading us to her brother's car. "Alice," I hissed in her ear, "We need to eat, you know." She looked back at me. "I know, I had a vision that if you didn't eat, one of your cousins would faint. I think there's a café down the road." And she literally dragged me back to the car, with Jenn and Danielle following.

There was a café down the street. It was called the Rolling Pin. I ordered a salad, while Jenn and Danielle ordered soup. When the waitress asked Alice if she wanted anything, she just shook her head. "I'm not that hungry," she said in response to Jenn's questioning look.

"So, where's Edward?" Jenn asked. "From what I saw last night, he doesn't seem like the type to leave Bella for a day." Alice grimaced. "He had some business to attend to." I groaned. _Business_ usually meant the wedding; I knew they were overdoing it. Danielle said, "Oh, that's nice. I mean, usually the guys don't get so involved in the wedding."

We paid for our lunch and went outside to the car. Just as Alice put the key in the ignition, her face went blank.

**Ooh, cliffy! I think I know what I'm going to do for the next chapter..... Do you think I should have Jacob come back to talk to Bella?**

**Please Review!!!!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Recap: **

_Just as Alice put the key in the ignition, her face went blank. _

**Here's chapter 4! Thank you so much for the reviews!! **

"Alice?" I said, waving my hand over her face. "Hellooo?" Her face cleared, and she turned to look at me suspiciously. "You're not planning to go to La Push, are you, Bella?" she asked accusingly. I knew that even after what happened with Victoria, Edward did not completely trust the wolves not to hurt me, even if it was an accident.

"No," I said, confused. I didn't usually go down there, since Jacob was – last I heard – running around somewhere as a big wolf. "What's La Push?" asked Jenn. "It's the Quileute reservation down by the coast," I explained as Alice turned the key, bringing the engine to life with a low purr. "Alice," I whispered, "what just happened?" She looked worried, and a little scared. "I just saw your futures disappear, and since you're not going to see Jacob, I don't know why I can't see what's going to happen."

I patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, Alice. An attack on you would break the treaty. They wouldn't dare." She looked at me and said, "I know, Bella, but what if it isn't the wolves? What if it's something else?" She pulled out of the parking lot in one smooth arc, and we sped home, driving several miles per hour- more than usual - over the speed limit. Danielle and Jenn didn't notice. They were too busy telling me about school in Phoenix.

"Guess what?" Jenn babbled excitedly, not waiting for me to answer, "Miss Levi finally got married! To the gym teacher, can you believe it? And my friend Christina, she heard that Ms. Rossi, you know, that student teacher we had, is coming back to teach Bio next year!" I was glad for the distraction, because it meant that I didn't have to think about Alice's disconcerting vision. "So anyway," Jenn continued, "Chelsi and Laura were shocked when I told them you were getting married. They thought, you know, that you'd…."

I didn't hear the end of her story, because Danielle shrieked. "Look over there!" she said, slightly hysterical, "Wolves!" I looked involuntarily; there were three humongous wolves running through the forest. My heart sank, though. The russet brown wolf that used to be my best friend was not among them. Probably still in Canada.

"Alice?" I said, "Can you drop us at Charlie's house?" "Sure, Bella," she replied. Her eyes were fixed on the road, but I could tell she was scanning each of our futures to see if she could find anything.

We drove suddenly up to Charlie's house. I thanked Alice, and we got our bags out of the trunk. We staggered up the front walk, our knees almost buckling under the weight of our purchases. I unlocked the door to find Ryan sitting on the couch, watching football on TV. "Hey guys!" he said, "It looks like there's gonna be a storm tomorrow. Where'd you guys go shopping?" "Seattle," Danielle said in a tired voice. "That wore me out. I think I'll go take a nap." "That's fine with me," I said. "I need to make dinner for everybody." I walked into the kitchen, aware that Jenn was following me.

"Why did Alice's face go blank like that? And why were you talking about La Push?" Jenn asked, slightly accusatory, slightly probing. She knew something wasn't normal. "Oh, nothing," I said, trying to keep my voice light. I turned to open the refrigerator door and pulled out some chicken for the enchiladas I was planning to make.

I shut the door, and the next second, I felt Edward's stone-hard arms around me. The chicken slipped from my fingers, but Edward caught it easily. He put it on the counter and spun me around to kiss me gently on the lips. I forgot my train of thought.

Edward's kisses were longer, now. I could tell he didn't have to use quite as much self-restraint. He pulled back, and looked down at me, frowning slightly. "What are you thinking?" he asked in his melodic tones. "You – you left me with Alice to go work on the wedding," I said, accusing. He laughed. "I needed to go work on a few _other_ things."

He released me, and I reached for the chicken on the counter. As I took out a saucepan, I got a glimpse of Jenn. She looked dazzled by my fiancé. "Jenn? JENN!" I said. "Were you going to help me with dinner or not?" She snapped out of her reverie and turned to look at me. "Oh, yeah, sure."

She reached for a pepper and began chopping it up. "So, how many times have you read Pride and Prejudice since you left Phoenix?" she asked me. I blushed, remembering Edward's comment how that was the only book I read. "About a dozen times," I said jokingly, but my thoughts were someplace else.

If I wasn't planning on seeing Jacob, why did our futures disappear? Could the Volturi have found a way to evade Alice's visions? Were they on their way right now? One of my biggest fears was that if the Volturi came and found me still alive, they would kill not only me, but Edward and the rest of the Cullens. And maybe even Charlie or the wolf pack. I didn't want to be the cause of an entire massacre.

Charlie came home shortly before we were done, and Danielle was awake, helping us in the kitchen. "Hey Bells," he said. "Hi, Uncle Charlie!" Jenn said, running to give him a hug. "How've you been, kid?" he asked. "I've been good," she said. "We made enchiladas. I hope you like them." "Hey, Uncle Charlie!" Ryan called from the living room, "Yes! Cardinals are up by 10 yards!" Charlie looked interested, and wandered into the living room, sitting down next to Ryan on the couch.

"Dinner's ready, if you want to unglue your eyes from the TV," Danielle called. We squeezed around the kitchen table. I ended up between Charlie and Edward. Danielle dished out the enchiladas, and when she reached for Edward's plate, he said, "No thank you, Danielle. I'm not hungry." "Big surprise," Charlie muttered. He hadn't taken the news of our engagement too well.

Dinner conversation was mostly about my cousins' activities in Phoenix, so I was free to listen and hold Edward's hand. The conversation slowly turned to outdoor activities. Edward spoke up. "Emmett, Rosalie, and I were planning on going hiking tomorrow. Did anyone want to come?"

I was slightly surprised, because usually "hiking" meant hunting. "Sure, I'll come," Ryan said, a little too eager. I suspected he just wanted to see Rosalie again. "I'll come, too," I said. "Danielle? Jenn?" "Sure, I want to see the woods anyway," Danielle said, shrugging. Jenn shook her head. "I saw some more clothes that I liked in that mall. Is Alice free tomorrow? Maybe we could go shopping again."

Edward laughed. "Alice hoped you'd say that. I'll pass on the message." "Where are you going hiking?" Charlie inquired, "Just out of curiosity." "We'll be hiking just in the area. Not a long drive or anything," Edward said smoothly. "If you don't mind, I have to go home to get ready."

He got up, and I got up with him and walked him to the door. "Is Alice all right?" I asked. "She must have told you about her vision." He sighed. "Alice is worried. A little too worried, I think. It could just be a chance meeting at the store or something. But I do hope it isn't the Volturi. Your cousins could cause… complications." I sighed. "I miss you at night," I admitted. He laughed softly, and brought my face up to kiss me once before turning and opening the door with one smooth movement. "See you tomorrow," I called softly.

**So did you like it??? PLEASE review!!!! **


	5. Chapter 5

**Here's Chapter 5!!! **

**I forgot the disclaimer last time, so here it is: **

**I do not own any of the characters…. But I wish I did!!! **

The next morning, I woke up to find Danielle staring at me. "You're a late riser. Everybody's outside, and Alice already left with Jenn." Crap. I had wanted time to take a leisurely shower and then talk with Edward. I rushed out of bed and got dressed. Downstairs, I quickly ate a bowl of cereal before running outside.

Emmett's big red Jeep was sitting on the road in front of my house, where Ryan was admiring it enviously. "That's a really nice ride," he was saying to Emmett. Ryan still looking scared of his build and muscle. Edward saw me come out of the doorway and came to give me a hug and kissed my forehead. "Let's go," he said. "Yeah, Bella! Do you want it to be dark before we get there?" Emmett boomed.

Fifteen minutes later, we were on the trail in the woods just outside Forks. Emmett, Ryan, and Edward were in the lead, talking about sports. They were discussing the World Series. Emmett and Ryan were locked in a serious debate over who would win, the Mariners or the Red Sox. Rosalie walked next to them, holding Emmett's hand and looking bored. I was surprised she had come. While Rosalie and I had come to an understanding, she still must have been a little upset that I continued to want to change into a vampire. I supposed Emmett had talked her into coming today.

Danielle walked next to me, behind everybody else. She took pictures of the trees with a small handheld camera. "For everybody at home," she explained. "They won't believe how many trees are here unless I have proof." She looked up at Rosalie. "Is Rosalie okay?" she asked. "I get the feeling she doesn't like me." I sighed. "It's not you, it's me. She just doesn't like me that much, but we're getting over it."

Rosalie evidently heard. She slowed down, letting go of Emmett's hand to walk with us. "Bella," she said, "Did you know that Alice and Jenn aren't actually shopping for clothes? They're looking at flowers for your wedding." "That's okay," I said. "It wouldn't be fun for me anyway. Alice would make me look at every single flower, even though she knew which one to pick at the beginning."

"But don't you want to be involved with everything?" Rosalie asked, and I knew she was thinking about her human experiences. "Not really, I'm not a big planner type of person," I said. Rosalie shrugged and caught up with Emmett again.

Danielle snorted. "She's too pretty for Ryan," she said, rolling her eyes. I saw Ryan still staring at Rosalie, and I laughed. "Emmett wouldn't be happy if Ryan tried to do anything." Danielle laughed too. "It looks like he'd throw Ryan into next week."

Just then, I saw four wolves running about fifty feet away from us, parallel to our path. I gasped, and ran up to Edward. "Edward, we didn't cross the line, did we?" I asked in a low voice. "No, don't worry," he reassured me, but he held me tight in any case. "Did you see those wolves?" Ryan asked in a slightly shaking voice that was higher than usual. "They were gigantic!" "They won't attack us," Emmett said confidently.

"In any case, I feel a little tired," Edward said. "Do you mind if we head back to the car?" No one objected, and so we turned around and headed back the way we came.

No sooner than we had turned around did four hulking teenage boys emerge from the trees. I turned around, knowing I would recognize them, but also knowing the one boy I wanted to see wouldn't be there. Jared, Embry, Paul, and Seth were all standing across the path, blocking us from going any further into the woods. Jared, Embry and Paul all looked slightly nervous at this confrontation, but Seth looked at ease. I knew he trusted Edward more than any of the other wolves.

Edward, Emmett and Rosalie stepped subtly in front of Danielle, Ryan, and me but only I noticed. My cousins were gaping at the Quileute pack. "They're huge!" Danielle whispered to Ryan.

"You just crossed the line," Jared hissed at us. Edward argued, "We did not. We followed it along into the woods." Paul stepped in front of Jared. "Well, you're gonna break the treaty anyway, so why not handle it now, va–" "You're coming dangerously close as well," Edward said, his voice even but dark. Jared seemed to notice Danielle and Ryan for the first time, and he deflated slightly. I glanced over at my cousins, who both looked completely oblivious.

But Paul still seemed upset. "Jacob said to tell you thanks for the invite, Bella," he said sarcastically. Tears came to my eyes at the mention of my ex-best friend. I turned into Edward's comforting arms. "And I wouldn't expect him for the wedding, either." Emmett growled and stepped forward. "Do you think that it matters if you tell her or not, dog?" He looked angrier than I'd ever seen him. He made a move to grab Jared by the shoulders, but I ran in between the two of them.

"Out of the way, Bella," Edward said, trying to pull me away. "I don't want anybody to get hurt!" I cried desperately but it didn't seem to help. Emmett pushed me away from between them and shifted back into a lunge.

The only thing that seemed to stop both sides was the sudden recollection that there were humans present. They both sprung up into standing positions and looked at my cousins. Danielle's hand was pressed to her mouth, and Ryan looked nervous. Rosalie stepped lithely forward and put her hand on Emmett's arm, dragging him away from the fight. Paul fell back into the line of werewolves and sneered. "We'll see you another time, then," Jared said coolly, before turning to leave. I allowed Edward to pull me back against his chest, tears still running down my cheeks.

I looked at the retreating group of boys. Seth had turned around and jogged back towards us. "Jacob also said to tell you sorry," he told me sympathetically. "And I'm sorry too." I nodded, wiping my tears away. "Thanks, Seth. And if you're still in range, tell him he'll always be my best friend." Seth nodded and turned back into the forest. The group disappeared, and we saw the four wolves running back the way they had come.

"What the hell was that about?" said Ryan. "Oh, it was nothing. There's a gang of sorts on the reservation, and they don't like us very much," Edward said smoothly, and I though I heard Rosalie mutter, "The feeling's somewhat mutual." "But what if there had been a fight? I mean, there were only four of them, but they looked really tough and dangerous!" Danielle said, her voice high – she was a worrier too.

Emmett said with an evil grin, "Oh, but we have our…. Advantages." He laughed darkly, and Danielle took a step away from him. By that time, we had reached Emmett's Jeep, and everybody but Edward and I piled in.

"It's all right," he murmured softly in my ear, "Don't listen to Paul. He's just overreacting, and besides, when has that mongrel ever cared about you?" I sniffled. "But what if Jake doesn't come to the wedding?" I asked miserably. "Then he will miss the greatest moment of my existence," Edward said simply. "Come on. Esme invited us back to the house for lunch. We have to keep the human charade up, you know." I laughed and got in the back seat, allowing Edward to fasten the harness around me.

The car ride was quiet, and we got to the Cullens' house faster than I had imagined. But when we got out of the car, Ryan said, "Hey, Bella? Can I ask you a question really quick?" "Sure," I said, and we walked a little ways away from the car.

"Okay, I know you guys were covering up. What was _really_ going on in the woods there?" he asked.

**Ooh, a cliffy!!!!! PLEASE review!!!! They make me write faster!!!!!**


	6. Chapter 6

**To all of you who waited for this chapter… Sorry I haven't updated in forever. But here's chapter 6!! **

I winced. "Nothing," I said, attempting nonchalance. I failed miserably, judging by the way Ryan's eyes narrowed. "Really? Then why were they calling those guys dogs? And what did you mean when you asked that one boy if he was 'in range'?"

"Nothing," I insisted. "They just don't agree with my engagement to Edward. And my best friend, Jacob, was their friend too. I hurt him a lot when I told him I was engaged. He – ran away."

Tears stung my eyes, but I stared over at Edward, willing them not to spill over my lashes. Ryan finally seemed to understand that he had hit a sore subject, and he gracefully backed off.

Unfortunately for him, he went to go talk to Rosalie. I saw Emmett cracking his knuckles a mere five feet away from my oblivious cousin, and I quickly walked over to stop Ryan before he became my future brother-in-law's dinner.

Danielle had obviously seen Emmett as well, because she got to Ryan the moment I did. "Come on, Ryan," she said, pulling him away. I heard her hiss into his ear, "Are you insane? She's already taken!" as she led him inside.

I looked at Rosalie. Surprisingly, she was smiling slightly.

"Sorry about that," I apologized, "Ryan is defenseless when it comes to pretty girls." She laughed quietly. "I've learned to ignore it, but it can get slightly annoying," she murmured, then looked over my shoulder at something.

I turned around only to collide with a marble-hard object. Looking up into Edward's face, I smiled and leaned in for a kiss. My heart raced, and I thought for sure Jenn and Ryan would be able to hear it even inside the mansion with their human hearing.

"No fair," I said. "You snuck up on me!" "I was just walking, Bella," my Adonis said, smiling. "Well, not all of us can have superhuman hearing," I grumbled as he led me inside.

However, right before I went in the door, I looked out at the woods, not that I expected to see anything. So I was surprised when I saw a pair of blood-red eyes gazing back at me from in a pale white face framed by light brown hair. They stared at me for a second, and then I saw the tiny frame of a person running away.

I inhaled quickly. "Edward?" I said, and I pointed to where I was sure I had seen Jane. "I think I just saw someone," I said quietly. "Over there, by that tree."

I had gotten Emmett's attention, too. Both he and Edward walked quickly over to the woods and searched quickly around the area where I had seen the vampire.

When they returned, Edward's face was tight, and Emmett was talking quietly to him. "It was Jane," he told me. I wasn't surprised, although I did want to know why she was here.

"We think she just wanted to see if you had changed yet," Edward said. But even as he said this, his face darkened and he glanced over at his brother.

"Edward, come on. I can handle it," I said. "Spit it out." He looked at me. "I don't want to make you nervous, especially since your cousins are visiting, but Jane wasn't the only vampire we smelled. Demitri and Felix were here, too."

"Why?" I asked as we walked inside; Emmett went over to talk to Carlisle. "We don't know. Perhaps they simply wanted to check up on you. Or perhaps they had a more sinister motive."

I looked over at Danielle, who was playing chess with Jasper, and Ryan, who was sitting on the couch watching them. I really didn't want to get them involved with the whole see-a-vampire-get-killed thing.

But there was really nothing I could do. I resigned myself to an evening of fake smiles and pointless conversations.

**There. I finally updated!!! **


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: All righty.... here's Chapter 7! I'm off all this week, so I'll probably get in 2-3 more chapters, as well as more chappies on my other fics!!!  
Hope you like it!!**

**Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Twilight. :( **

* * *

On the car ride home, Jenn asked, "You've been cliff diving?" I sighed. Alice must have told her about my escapades. "Yeah, just once though," I responded. "That's awesome! Where did you do it?" Ryan asked. "La Push has some pretty good cliffs by the water," I said, "I think we can go tomorrow if you want to."

My cousins seemed excited at the prospect, so when we got home I called Edward to tell him where we would be going. He was quiet, and when I asked him if he was all right with that, he said, "I would prefer it if you stayed away from La Push, Bella." I said, "Edward, they're not going to hurt me or anything. Don't worry." He sighed. "All right, but if you aren't home tomorrow by six, I'm coming to see if you're hurt." I rolled my eyes. "Fine. Good night, Edward," and I hung up the phone.

Charlie was in the living room; he told me that one of his officers had invited him on an overnight fishing trip. "It's tomorrow," he said. "I hope this doesn't mess up your plans?" "No problem, Uncle Charlie!" said Danielle, and I nodded. In fact, I was grateful he'd be gone. If the Volturi _were_ in the area, I wanted as many innocent people out of danger as possible.

* * *

The next morning was bright and sunny, nothing like the cloudy cover of the previous time I had jumped. I was the first one up, and I busied myself with making eggs for breakfast. Slowly Jenn, Ryan, and finally Danielle emerged from the stairs, yawning slightly. I put breakfast on the table and they sat down to eat. After about five minutes, Jenn asked, "So are we going or what?"

"Of course we are," said Ryan. He turned to me. "Do we need any safety gear or anything?" "Nope," I said, "Just some adrenaline. That was the only thing that got me to do it last time." We finished breakfast and my cousins went upstairs to get dressed.

Fifteen minutes later, we were driving down the road to La Push. Although it was sunny – and June – the air nipped my face and hands. I knew the water would be freezing. Danielle was sitting inside the truck with me; Ryan and Jenn sat in the back. She turned to me, and I saw the anxious look on her face. "What?" I asked. She shrugged and said, "Well, if Edward thinks the people at La Push are dangerous, maybe we shouldn't go there."

I sighed – I should have seen it coming. "Well, really they look tougher than they actually are. They're kind of funny, even." _When you aren't hanging around with vampires. _Danielle looked slightly reassured. "So, why did you go cliff diving in the first place?" she asked me. I groaned inwardly, then said, "Recreation. It looked like fun." Danielle looked at me like I was insane, but said, "O-kay…"

We got to First Beach, and I parked close to the water. I pointed out the cliff that we would jump from, and started walking that way. Ryan and Danielle followed me; Jenn brought up the end of our little parade.

At the top, it was chillier, though the sun warmed my skin a little. I looked at my cousins. Ryan was slightly green. "Hey, are you okay?" I asked him. "I'll be fine. It's just really high up." "Well what do you expect, Ryan?" Jenn asked him, laughing. "It's called _cliff_ diving for a reason. I stepped forward to take the first jump, when I saw a flash of nearly white hair in the woods around the cliff.

I turned around, and suddenly, there was Jane, standing in front of me. Flanking her on either side were Felix and Alec. "Hello, Bella," she said. "I can see you're still… normal." I forced myself to breathe normally. "Jane. In case you didn't know, Edward and I are getting married this fall." "Is that so?" she asked, turning to look at Alec. "We didn't receive an invitation."

Felix leaned forward. "Those look like some nice friends you've got there, Bella." Danielle trembled slightly, but said, "Leave us alone! Her boyfriend knows where we are!" Felix grinned and looked me straight in the eyes. "I wonder how much they know…"

And suddenly, I knew why the Volturi were here. They had checked to see if I was a vampire. And now, since I wasn't, they were going to kill me. "Nothing," I choked out. "I haven't told them anything." Jenn shook her head. "That's not true," she said. "Bella's told us everything about her and Edward. I already know she's going to be married."

My heart sank. Now the Volturi would think I had told them about vampires. "Jenn, please, just don't say anything else," I begged. Felix walked slowly towards me and suddenly grabbed my arms, pinning them behind my back. "You heard Aro," he told me. "We don't offer second chances." Alec walked toward me, smirking. "Jenn – run!" I started to say, but Felix covered my mouth.

Suddenly, three humongous wolves burst out of the woods. Jenn let out a small shriek and stepped backwards, tripping over a branch. Ryan seemed to break out of the daze he was in, and started towards Felix, probably to try to get me free. I shook my head, trying to warn him to stay where he was, but of course he didn't listen.

A chocolate brown wolf leaped at me. Quil. I ducked just as Felix released me, bringing up one hand to punch the wolf in the snout. I quickly got up and ran into the woods, dragging Danielle by the hand. Jenn and Ryan soon followed us.

Behind us, the sounds of the fight continued. I peered out from the cover of the forest, and saw Jane fall off the cliff, pushed by a grey wolf. "Come on!" I said. "We've got to get help!" Ryan looked at me like I was insane. "Bells, those people were probably going to kill us right now, and you want to _help _them?" I ignored him and started walking back through the woods to my truck.

I got in and turned the key in the ignition. The truck roared to life. I sighed in relief. My cousins were now looking at me like I was insane. "Get in!" I shouted. They complied, and I instantly started driving down the highway, looking for someone I knew. I recognized Paul and Embry walking along the road, laughing about something. They looked up when they heard my truck, and Paul's eyes narrowed.

I got out and walked towards them. "Paul!" I yelled. He looked at me for a second, then continued talking to Embry. I walked up close to them. "Embry, there's vampires out on the cliff. I saw them. There's three." Paul's eyes grew wide, and he took off running in the direction we had come. Embry followed him, but not before saying, "Are you all right? Jake would never forgive me if something happened to you on the rez." I smiled. "I'm fine. Thanks."

I got back to the car, where Jenn was looking at me, completely confused. "What the hell was that all about?" she asked. "Come on," I said. "We've got to go to the Cullens'. We can talk there."


End file.
